Crispy Baked Lemon Garlic Chicken Wings
on Jan 23, 2020, Updated Aug 11, 2025
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Savor Crispy Baked Lemon Garlic Chicken Wings—juicy, zesty, and perfectly seasoned for a healthier, flavorful snack!
Table of Contents
What Makes This Recipe Great
Craving incredibly crispy chicken wings without the mess of deep-frying? Look no further! These baked lemon garlic chicken wings are so crispy, you’ll swear they were fried. The secret? A simple, powerful ingredient that you probably already have in your pantry: baking powder.
This recipe delivers perfectly golden, crunchy wings bursting with a bright, zesty lemon and savory garlic flavor. They’re easy to make and are perfect for a game day snack, a party appetizer, or a simple weeknight dinner.
Ingredient List
- Chicken Wings– whole or drumettes and flats
- Baking Powder– the key to achieving that irresistible crunch
- Salt
- Garlic Powder
- Lemon Zest
- Lemon Juice– you can use fresh or from a squeeze bottle
- Ghee– has a high smoke point and a rich, buttery flavor that complements the lemon and garlic perfectly.
Step By Step
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire cooling rack on top.
- Pat your chicken wings dry (the dryer they are, the crispy they will get!). Then place them in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl combine baking powder, ½ tsp salt, 2 tsp garlic powder and 1 Tbsp lemon zest and stir to combine.
- Pour the spice mixture over the wings and toss to coat evenly.
- Place the wings, spread out evenly, on the cooling rack and bake for 30 minutes, flip them all, then bake for another 20-30 minutes or until browned and crispy.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine 1 tsp garlic powder, lemon juice, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ cup melted ghee and stir to combine.
- Place cooked wings in a large bowl and add ghee mixture on top. Toss to coat the wings.
- Serve with veggies!
Pro Tip
- Use a wire rack: Elevating the wings allows for better air circulation and prevents them from getting soggy.
Frequently Asked Question
Do I need to use the baking soda?
- Baking powder is the key to achieving that irresistible crunch. When mixed with salt and tossed with the wings, it raises the skin’s pH, which helps it brown and get extra crispy as it bakes. It also creates tiny air bubbles, which results in a lighter, crispier texture. Don’t worry, you won’t taste it—it simply works its magic to transform the texture.
You Will Need More Grub for the Season
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Crispy Baked Lemon Garlic Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken wings
- 2 tsp baking powder**
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
Sauce:
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup ghee, melted
- Serve with: Celery, carrots, bell peppers & ranch dressing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire cooling rack on top.
- Pat your chicken wings dry (the dryer they are, the crispy they will get!). Then place them in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl combine baking powder, ½ tsp salt, 2 tsp garlic powder and 1 Tbsp lemon zest and stir to combine.
- Pour the spice mixture over the wings and toss to coat evenly.
- Place the wings, spread out evenly, on the cooling rack and bake for 30 minutes, flip them all, then bake for another 20-30 minutes or until browned and crispy.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine 1 tsp garlic powder, lemon juice, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ cup melted ghee and stir to combine.
- Place cooked wings in a large bowl and add ghee mixture on top. Toss to coat the wings.
- Serve with veggies!
Notes
- **To make these paleo, make your own baking powder by combining 2 tablespoons cream of tartar, 1 tablespoon baking soda, and 1 tablespoon tapioca starch
- You can use butter instead of ghee.
My husband absolutely loved these! We cooked them in the air fryer (26 min at 400 deg) and they came out perfect, super crispy. Thanks for a great recipe!
Great!!
OFFENSIVELY delicious! Super easy to make, simple ingredient, crispy and delicious.
Haha love it!!
So yummy! I know others said this recipe is salty but it was the perfect amount of me! 🙂
Great!!
Made these tonight in the air fryer and they were so good!! So crispy!
Ah YES!!
Hey do you think it would be possible to use arrowroot instead of baking powder?
No they are not the same thing! I also share a paleo version of baking powder at the bottom of the post!
I just whipped these up for a wfh lunch bc i had some chicken wings I needed to use. This recipe is insane. Do not doubt the simplicity. They are easy to put together/simple ingredients that you typically have on hand. I did increase the lemon juice/zest a bit as I like things super lemony 🙂
Awesome!!
My husband legit thinks i’m lying when I tell him these are done in the oven. They are SOOOO GOOD. Great recipe, easy to follow and so crispy. We do ghee when we are on Whole30 and butter when we aren’t. Great both ways.
Haha I love it!!
So glad we found this recipe!! This is our go-to every time we make wings!
Yahoo! So glad to hear!
Made them last night! Turned out great and very tasty!
So glad, love these!!
Sooo savory and delicious! I baked a little less than recommended as my wings were on the small side and I didn’t want to dry them out. Will definitely be making again!
So glad to hear you made the adjustments!